Salt farmers, the unwitting winners of France’s drought

Through blistering heatwaves and drought that have parched the French countryside in recent weeks, one group has emerged a reluctant winner: salt farmers in the northwestern region of Guerande. Guerande’s snow-white Fleur de Sel (‘flower of salt’), which crystallizes on the water’s surface, is one of the finer salts on world markets, retailing in the United States at over $100 a kilogram. As temperatures climbed in recent months and almost inexistent rainfall turbo-charged salt water evaporation in the region, production has soared. “We’re heading towards record production,” said producer Francois Durand, who has worked on the salt marshes for more than 20 years. Sea salt production over the last 10 years had averaged around 1.3 tonnes per salt pan but this year the yield was nearly double at 2.5 tonnes, he said. He acknowledged that makes him one of the few short-term winners of climate change whilst parts of the country deal with wildfires and water shortages. “You could say ...